Players like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen are immensely popular for their leadership in the NFL, but what about the quarterbacks who could join this elite group very soon?

While most fans are still buzzing over their franchise stars, some quarterbacks are quietly flying under the radar, slowly building themselves up. Today, we are going to look at the NFL's most underrated quarterbacks.

6. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)

Dak Prescott is perhaps one of the most well-known names in the NFL, and yet he never finds himself ranked as highly as some of his peers.

He has accumulated an  83-55-1 record, with 243 touchdowns and a career passer rating of 98.3. The 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year recipient has multiple seasons in which he posted over 4,000 passing yards.

Prescott ranks top 10 all‑time in both completion percentage and passer rating, yet is rarely mentioned alongside Mahomes, Burrow, or Allen. His playoff record of 2-5 is what goes against him. This, along with Dallas' inability to reach the NFC Championship since 1995, has complicated matters further.

Still, just last year, he equalled legend Tony Romo's record of 30 touchdowns or more for four seasons for his franchise.

5, Jaxson Dart (New York Giants)

It feels like just yesterday, rookie Jaxson Dart was stepping in to play his first game, and a year has now passed already.

In 2025, he started in 12 games, amassing 24 total touchdowns. Furthermore, he also completed 63.7 % of his passes, maintaining a passer rating of 91.7.

His 4-8 record under an unstable New York Giants franchise looks shaky, but he's developed well under Bill Belichick and Mike Kafka. Now this year, John Harbaugh, the same man who saw Lamar Jackson turn into an MVP player, will mentor the young and rising quarterback.

4. Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Baker Mayfield's career has seen him reach great heights. In three seasons, he's made two Pro Bowls and owns a 27-24 record as a starter for the Buccaneers. In that time, he's thrown 95 touchdowns.

After being released by Cleveland and struggling in Carolina, Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay. He then led them to playoff contention in 2023 and 2024. His 71.4 % completion rate in 2024 was elite, ranking among the best in the league.

He was instrumental in stabilizing Tampa Bay's offense after Tom Brady's retirement.

3. Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)

Bo Nix has already made back‑to‑back 3,700+ yard seasons in his first two years, bringing back playoff football to Denver after a decade. Since coming on, Nix has become the first rookie QB in NFL history with multiple games of 300+ yards, 4 TD's, and a passer rating above 140.

Through two seasons, the Denver Broncos have won 24 of Nix's 34 regular-season starts, while making the playoffs in both years.

2. Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)

2021 overall No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence led the Jaguars to AFC South titles in 2022 and 2025. He is a Pro Bowl-recognized player and also finished in the Top 5 in MVP voting in 2025.

With a career total of over 17,000 yards and over 4,000 yards last year (for a third time in five years), he is a natural talent. He single-handedly transformed the Jaguars from a struggling enterprise into a playoff contender.

1. Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)

Jared Goff remains one of the most underrated quarterbacks on this list. He's thrown 29 or more touchdowns four years in a row now. Not only has he not missed a single start during that time, but he has a 48-33-1 record in the last five years.

His 96.8 passer rating attests to that belief. His nearly 40,000 passing yards show that people need to pay closer attention to his game.

All these quarterbacks are underrated but supremely talented. Any one of them can really shine in the 2026 season, with Goff already sparking MVP buzz for some analysts.

Read more at the Cincinnati Bengals Community!

Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote